


there's things i wish i knew, there's no thing i'd keep from you

by orphan_account



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Oblivious Yamaguchi, Truth or Dare, implied kagehina and asanoya, little barely there side daisuga, side ennotana if u squint, tsukki is in love, yachi is a lesbian, yamaguchi is gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:13:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26074717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: You've got to be kidding me, he thought. I am not in love with my best friend. I'm just gay and touch starved.But no matter how many times he repeated it to himself, he didn't believe it. Maybe he was, after all, in love with his best friend.In which Tanaka's Ennoshita-approved fun little dare makes Yamaguchi think too much about holding his best friend's hand, and prompts Kei to say something about his unrequited crush on a certain freckled person.
Relationships: Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 5
Kudos: 101





	there's things i wish i knew, there's no thing i'd keep from you

Yamaguchi Tadashi had never been a liar. He tried to be as honest as he could be. However, he was very good at lying to himself. Every night, the same thought runs through his head, and he has to tell himself _no, you don't have feelings for your best friend. It's just admiration, Tadashi! Stay calm, you're just gay in general, not for Tsukki!_ But after a few years, he didn't know if he believed himself anymore.

Tsukishima Kei, however, was an impressive liar. He kept himself as neutral as possible so he could mask his feelings, especially the ones he felt towards his best friend. Despite this, he found it very hard to lie to Tadashi, he knew Kei so well it was almost impossible. Almost, because Kei could tell Tadashi had absolutely no idea about his lifelong crush on him.

But in the end, they had the same thought: _Screw you, Tanaka._

It had started on an after practice hangout at Tanaka's house with all the team, including Daichi, Suga, and Asahi, who had graduated the year before. They had promised to meet up with the Karasuno second and third years before the end of the school year, and as it was looming near, they decided it was a good time to make plans. 

They were watching a romantic comedy, which Kei thought was dumb, but he knew Yamaguchi was fond of them, so he paid attention anyway. He turned to his best friend to see the glint of his eye and the small smile plastered on his face as the main couple kissed, a soft song playing in the background.

He never understood why his best friend liked those movies so much. They didn't represent what true love was. Although if he was honest, the closest approximation to true love Kei had ever witnessed was what he felt towards Yamaguchi, which was much deeper than a stupid romantic comedy. 

Which he also thought was stupid, because _who even falls in love with his also gay best friend who probably doesn't feel the same way? Only foolish people do. And gay people. And I am both._

"I think we should do something fun. Like... Truth or dare." Tanaka had suggested, a sly smirk on his face as he turned to Ennoshita and slapped his back. "What do you think, captain?"

"I," He trailed off, blushing. "I think we should ask Daichi."

"Oh, please, you're the captain now!" He placed a hand on Ennoshita's shoulder. "For the next few months, at least, so please tell us what you think." Daichi smiled reassuringly. Ennoshita smiled back, now full of confidence, and turned to his vice captain, Tanaka.

"Okay, as long as you don't ask me who the next captain is." 

Everyone laughed, because they all knew Yamaguchi was up next for the role. It made sense to Kei, even if it didn't for Tadashi.

He spaced out for a second, his mind running wild. _Why'd Ennoshita and Tanaka choose me? I'm not a good captain, Tsukki would be a much better fit! Okay, maybe not, but it would be nice. I wonder if he's proud of me. I hope he helps me, because what would I ever do without him? Oh no, college! I forgot! What if we go to different schools, what's gonna happen then? Huh?_

"Yamaguchi?" Tadashi loved the way Kei said his family name. It fit so well in his lips. ( _Why am I even thinking about his lips?_ ) But it managed to pull him out of his thoughts, so he just smiled at him and hummed. Kei seemed satisfied enough with the answer, so Tadashi just sat back and listened to their friends scream at each other. _This is going to be a long night_ , he thought.

"Okay... Ennoshita! You go first. Ask anyone."

Ennoshita smirked. Tadashi knew the captain was more himself than ever when Tanaka was near, which is why they made a good team. He silently wondered if Kei and him would be the same, since _of course it'd be Tsukki, he'd be the perfect vice captain. Just like Daichi and Suga, just like Ennoshita and Tanaka. A good team._

Ennoshita ended up asking Tanaka, who chose truth, to everyone's surprise. He asked about his first kiss, to which Tanaka's face went red as he said he'd never kissed anyone, again, to everyone's surprise. The boy just blushed as he said that he was supposedly _waiting for a certain person_. Everyone assumed it was Kiyoko. Tadashi had a feeling it was not her.

Tanaka turned to ask someone else, and his eyes landed on Kei, who looked horrified.

"Tsukishima! Truth or dare, my friend?" The suspicious smile on Tanaka's face made Kei frown. Tanaka looked at Tadashi and then back at Kei, and that's how easily Kei knew he could never choose truth, or he'd have a hard time lying in case it was needed. Because he would be lying to Tadashi, and that's something he didn't want to do, ever.

"Dare." He let a playful smirk slip into his face. Tanaka was surprised.

"Okay, cool... Let me think... Ah! I've got it! But first I have to consult with the boss." He turned to Ennoshita, apparently asking something, to which he shook his head violently.

"No, Tanaka! Why would you?"

"I'm just trying to help! Pretty please?" Tanaka curled his lip into a pout, to which Ennoshita laughed.

"No, and that's final."

Kageyama and Hinata seemed entertained enough with the playful argument, they weren't even as loud as they usually were. Kei noticed how their hands were intertwined and wondered if they _knew_. It was a little obvious that they both had feelings for each other.

Kei suddenly worried that his feelings for Yamaguchi were as obvious as the dumbass duo's feelings for each other. Tadashi seemed oblivious enough. But the others?

"Okay, I've got it! Yamaguchi and you have to pretend to be in a relationship." Tanaka winked. Oh so they do know.

"It was my dare, Yamaguchi has nothing to do with this. And who would we even fool? We only ever hang out with you guys."

"We're meeting up with Kiyoko tomorrow, remember? Just fool her and Yachi, should be easy, right, Chikara?" Tanaka nudged Ennoshita, who sat cross-armed, looking at Tanaka with a disapproving frown on his face.

"Tanaka..." Ennoshita trailed off, shaking his head.

Kei scanned the room for his teammate's expressions. Noya was whispering something incomprehensible in Asahi's ear. Kei knew the two stayed the closest after the former third years left the team. After Kiyoko and Yachi, of course. Tadashi had told him (with Yachi's permission) all about their friend's little crush on the older girl. Kageyama and Hinata were wordlessly fighting for the last cookie in the box Asahi had bought for the group. Daichi and Suga were staring at him, holding in laughter. He also noticed they were holding hands, trying to be subtle. But the whole team knew they had started dating as soon as they graduated. His eyes finally landed on Yamaguchi, who was staring right at Tanaka. _Fearless little Yamaguchi, the most anxious person I've ever met yet he still manages to be brave. And perfect, with his little freckles. I wish I could count them one by one._

"We'll do it. Um, Tsukki, I mean." Kei heard Yamaguchi say. He saw his friend fiddling with his fingers, something he did when he was anxious.

That night, Tadashi texted Kei as soon as he got home.

to: tsukki!!

hey :P

from: tsukki!!

hey

can't sleep?

to: tsukki!!

it's barely midnight

still so much to do!!! :D

from: tsukki!!

maybe you should get some rest

you fell asleep on my shoulder back then -.-

to: tsukki!!

i will!! gonna change into my pjs and then Zzz i'm gone :>

from: tsukki!!

wait

i just wanted to ask... are you sure you're okay with this deal? you don't have to do it if you don't want to.

To this, Tadashi's heart swelled.

to: tsukki!!

of course i'm okay with it!! i agreed for a reason, you know? :D

goodnight tsukki!! sweet dreams

And of course, Kei knew Tadashi could never lie to him. If he said he's okay with it, then he's okay with it. That's just how it is.

from: tsukki!!

sleep tight yamaguchi

:)

Tadashi felt like doing a little dance in his room. He wasn't opposed at all to the idea of being his best friend's fake boyfriend, that's what friends are for!

But as he drifted off to sleep, he couldn't help but ponder his feelings about his best friend. Little did he know Kei was doing the same thing.

And that's how they ended up in the park on a sunny Saturday afternoon waiting for their friends to arrive. Alone, together, about to pretend they were boyfriends to two of their closest friends. Well, one of Tadashi's closest friends (after Kei, because he was the number one in his friend list) and her crush. With the same Tanaka-hating thought in mind.

They had their whole story planned out (by Tadashi, _the romantic comedy expert_ , as Kei had teased him earlier) but they weren't ready for Yachi and Kiyoko to arrive so soon. Impulsively, Kei took Tadashi's hand, whose heart jumped.

 _You've got to be kidding me,_ he thought. _I am not in love with my best friend. I'm just gay and touch starved._

But no matter how many times he repeated it to himself, he didn't believe it. Maybe he was, after all, in love with his best friend.

Kei, however, was handling it quite well. His grip on Tadashi's hand brought him comfort and confidence to greet their friends.

Yachi was the first one to notice the hand holding. 

"Oh my God, you guys!" She took them both for a quick embrace. "It was a matter of time, we all knew that, I just thought it would've been later on, over the summer or-or something!"

Kiyoko smiled. "Yes, honestly. We all saw it coming, it's no surprise. Hitoka-chan and I were actually just talking about how we thought you two had been secretly dating for the entirety of your first year."

Kei felt his cheeks heat up. Had he really been that obvious? Did this mean there was a chance for them?

"Well, w-what can we say? It was all really quick, just yesterday night." Tadashi said, wearing an awkward tight-lipped smile and stumbling with his words. Kei decided in that moment Tadashi was officially the worst liar to ever exist.

"Yeah, it was really quick. It was nice seeing you, Shimizu-senpai." Kei said and turned to Yamaguchi, who looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

Once they were out of earshot, Tadashi turned to his best friend.

"Nice work, Tsukki! You managed to convince them!" He laughed awkwardly.

He couldn't help but think about what Yachi had said earlier. What did she mean when she said it was a matter of time? Was he acting like someone who likes his best friend in a gay way would act?

Tanaka approached them mere seconds later and patted their backs, smiling.

"Who knew you had it in you?" Tanaka laughed. Kei glared at him. "Anyway, you can tell them it's a dare, Chikara already scolded me for doing this. Especially because of your feelings—"

"What feelings?" Kei quickly asked. Tadashi could feel his heart closing in on itself. He didn't even know the exact reason why, but he had an idea of what it could be.

He was, after all, in love with his best friend. And it was not in a friend way, or fake boyfriend way. _Can you even be in love in a friend way?_ He had no idea.

"Oh, I just thought— Never mind." Tanaka cleared his throat and tapped their shoulders. "Good work, guys."

They ended up telling Kiyoko and Yachi that it was just a dare. Well, Kei did. He wasn't sure why, since he liked to pretend he was dating Tadashi. He was doing him a favor by telling the truth, though. _He did seem a little uncomfortable back here._

Yamaguchi was awfully quiet on the way back. His gaze was fixed on the asphalt, kicking the stray rocks away from their path. He'd been acting a little off during dinner, but Kei supposed it wouldn't last until the way home.

Kei was, admittedly, a little worried. Tadashi was never very quiet unless he was uncomfortable, and Kei could not bare the thought that his best friend was uncomfortable with him. He was supposed to be his safe space.

"Is something wrong?" Kei asked, testing the waters. Tadashi didn't look up.

"No, Tsukki. Nothing's wrong." Tadashi faked a laugh. He was a lousy liar, after all. It made Kei's heart hurt.

The thing is, Tadashi didn't want to tell Kei what was bothering him. He knew he wouldn't be able to lie, and he'd end up telling him that he's been in love with him for the past few years. So now that he has figured his feelings out, he thinks his best option is to ignore his best friend. Forever. _Because that's totally something you can do, Tadashi! I'm being sarcastic. It would be near impossible, don't even think about it!_

"You know, you can talk to me about it." Tadashi looked up to see a concerned Kei staring back. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

Tadashi could only shake his head. Kei still wasn't satisfied. The atmosphere was too quiet without his best friend's sweet voice occupying the silence. So he decided to fill it himself.

"You know, I used to think you had a crush on Yachi. Back in first year."

Apparently it seemed to work, because an unexpected snort escaped Yamaguchi's mouth.

"Really? Why? I'm gay and she's a lesbian. Two homosexuals, if you must." Yamaguchi laughed, but he sounded genuinely confused.

"I don't know. It made sense in my head," This caused another snort from Yamaguchi's part. "It was so weird, too. I guess I was just distracting myself from thinking of the off chance that you might've liked... me."

Kei felt how Tadashi suddenly became stiff. Had he made him uncomfortable?

But Tadashi had the same thought. Had he ever made his favorite person ever uncomfortable by unknowingly liking him?

"Tsukki." Tadashi said softly, but didn't look up. "Tsukki, I..." He trailed off. He couldn't face him like this! "I'm sorry, Tsukki."

Kei took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I guess now you know."

"Know what?" Tadashi looked up, voice still too soft. He hadn't said anything to indicate... anything at all! And he could never make him uncomfortable! He was just scared he'd freak him out with this _I'm_ _in love with my best friend_ little thing he had going on.

"That I wanted you to like me."

Tadashi finally faced him. Kei had soft eyes, the softest he'd ever seen.

"Yamaguchi," he started. "Yamaguchi, I like you." He was blushing furiously, scared his friend wouldn't react well.

In the heat of the moment, Tadashi planted a sudden, quick peck on his best friend's cheek. He felt a sudden rush of confidence go through his body.

"Tsukki, I'm in love with you. I just realized it! Like, a few hours ago, when we were talking and you said there were no feelings, I was so devastated... But the truth is, I've been in love with you for the past few years. I love you so much, Tsukki! Not just as a friend. Although I do love you as a friend, but I hope you know what I mean." He smiled, cupping Kei's face with his hands. He stood on his tiptoes as he placed a soft kiss on his friend's lips. 

Kei was taken aback. He was expecting a reaction, but certainly not that one. He silently wrapped his arms around Tadashi and placed their foreheads together.

"I love you too, Tadashi." He looked stunned at the use of his given name, but Kei placed his lips to his best friend's lips and everything was good, everything was okay. Kei laughed, and Tadashi thought it was the best sound he would ever hear. "We should get home. Wanna stay over?"

"Of course, Tsukki!"

Holding hands, they made their way to Kei's house under the stars, preparing themselves for some much-needed cuddles. Tadashi walked with a skip in his step.

"Stop jumping around so much, Yamaguchi." Kei said with a small smile on his face. Tadashi laughed as if he had no worries at all ( _which Kei knew wasn't true, since Yamaguchi worried about literally everything_ ) and Kei felt like a weight was taken off his shoulders. The world was smiling at them.

"Sorry, Tsukki!"

The next week, when they arrived to volleyball practice, Yachi was (again) the first one to notice their hand holding. 

As she bombarded them with questions, Tanaka pulled Ennoshita to the side and winked at him. He rolled his eyes, since he knew what was coming.

"Told you it would work, Chikara."


End file.
